Toronto District School Board urged to address “wave of antisemitism” after students perform Nazi salute in front of Jewish teacher

After another report of students performing Nazi salutes in a Toronto school within weeks of a similar incident, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has been urged to address a “wave of antisemitism”.

On Thursday, Valley Park Middle School in North York sent a letter to parents informing them that antisemitic graffiti had been discovered and that students had performed the Nazi salute in class.

Reportedly, two students had performed the Nazi salute to their classmates, while a third shouted “Heil Hitler” from his desk, all in the presence of their Jewish teacher. 

The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center spoke to the teacher of the Grade 8 class, a Jewish woman and daughter of Holocaust survivors who was said to be “very hurt, very upset, very traumatised” by the event.

Valley Park Middle School Principal George Bartzis said that the incident was “upsetting and unacceptable,” adding: “We take great pride in our school as a welcoming, safe, and inclusive place and this has always been our message to students. It is also not reflective of who we are and what we stand for as a school and as a community.”

The incident was also condemned by the Mayor of Toronto, John Tory, who said that it was “as sad as it is hurtful and obviously unacceptable. It is extremely troubling to see antisemitic acts, especially among young people, happening in our community.”

This latest incident comes only weeks after the news that two students at Charles H. Best Middle School, also located in the North York area, displayed swastikas and gave a Nazi salute in front of classmates.

Shari Schwartz-Maltz, a spokesperson for the TDSB and Chair of the School Board’s Jewish Heritage Committee, said that the students responsible would ​​​​ face “consequences” and that the Board would be taking on a more proactive approach in tackling antisemitism. 

The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center said that the school board was witnessing a “wave of antisemitism” that was “unprecedented in terms of both number of incidents and their escalating gravity.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.